Christmas Mischief
by emyy250
Summary: Sequel to Home for Thanksgiving. Alex has always loved pulling pranks, even more so during wintertime. This year however his girlfriend invited him over for Christmas dinner. Will he be able to get a handle his mischievous nature and make a good impression on her parents?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The invite

It was late afternoon. Alex was finishing a project for his father. Then his cell phone rang. It was Serena. Alex decided he could slack off for a few minutes. He saved his work and answered the call.

"What's up?" Alex asked.

"You wanna come for Christmas dinner?" Serena asked.

"When is it?" He furrowed his brow.

"The 20th. It's at 7." She said.

"I can make that." He looked at his calendar.

"Great. Just dress nicely. Mom's really excited to meet you." She smiled. "I'll see you later, Xander."

"Love you too. Bye" He hung up.

Alex tried to start working again, but Owen walked into his office. He looked up from his computer. Owen set down a bag of deflated whoopee cushions on his desk.

"Your father worked very hard organizing the banquet." Owen said.

"Yes." Alex nodded.

"And he had that banquet for the employees." He continued.

"Uh huh." He nodded again.

"Imagine his surprise when everyone sat down." Owen intoned.

"Yeah…" Alex snickered.

"Alexander, you do this every winter." He pointed out.

"And I come up with different pranks every winter." Alex said.

"Your father understands your penchant for mischief, but others do not." Owen frowned a bit.

"It's fine, nobody got hurt. It was just a whoopee cushion. That's harmless." Alex said dismissively.

"If you're going to pull pranks around the office, it would be wise to keep the audience in mind." He deliberated after a bit.

"Okay." Alex huffed. He slowly came up with an idea on how prank the interns his age.

"I'll see you at dinner." Owen walked to the door.

"Hey, Owen?" He looked at his uncle.

"Yes, Alexander?" He turned.

"Serena invited me to Christmas dinner and she said to dress nicely. Does she want me to wear a suit?" He asked.

Owen repressed a sigh.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Meeting Serena's Parents

Once Alex got off work, he recruited Owen to help him. After several passes through his closet, Fox had ultimately intervened and told that Alex should dress warmly. The news had spread fast. His father wasn't surprised at all. The clan heard after dinner. They were happy for him.

The week went a bit slow since people were on vacation. But it was enough to keep Alex occupied. Xanatos decided the family would take their vacation upstate after Christmas and through New Year's. Alex was looking forward to it. It was always nice to change up the scenery.

When the 20th finally came, Alex chose to wear a red sweater with cream accents, jeans and sneakers. He put on his coat. The Xanatos family waited for Serena in the Great Hall. She offered to pick up Alex.

"Alright, Sweetpea, remember your manners. Tell them dinner was nice. Don't eat the leftovers in the car. You don't want to spill in her car." Fox advised.

"Ok." He nodded.

"If they offer wine, do _not_ drink the whole bottle." Xanatos emphasized.

"I won't." Alex said.

"Don't dig through the cupboards for more." Owen added.

"Hey!" He frowned.

"Alex, you have a bit of your uncle in you. For better or worse." Fox smiled.

"Fine." Alex grumbled.

"Alexander, be on your best behavior. These are Serena's parents. She wants them to like you." Xanatos told him.

"That's the plan." He nodded.

The elevator dinged. Serena walked out. She wore a black coat and blue shirt. She was a bit surprised to see all of them.

"Oh, hi. I just thought Alex was going to be here." She said.

"It's Alex's first time meeting the parents. Of course we're going to see him off." Fox told her. She pulled his close and kissed his cheek. "Be a good boy, Alex."

"Yes, Mom." He kissed her back.

"Have a good time, Alexander." Owen said.

"I'll try." He fist bumped him.

"And remember to call if you can't make it home." Xanatos said, hugging him.

"Ok, I will." Alex nodded.

"You ready to go?" Serena asked. "Nobody else to send you off?"

"Nope." Alex strode toward the elevator.

They went in the elevator and rode down. It was quiet. For a bit, they didn't do anything. Serena looked at Alex. He noticed her.

"What?" He asked.

"When your mom said it's your 'first time meeting the parents', did she mean it was my parents or…" She trailed off.

"Oh, they're just excited. I usually don't get this far. Some of my exes either wanted my money, sex, or babies." He said.

"Alex…" She frowned.

"Not all of them, just like several." He insisted.

"Those are supposed the outliers, Alex." Serena told him.

"That's for normal people, I'm famous." Alex said.

"That's still too many." She crossed her arms.

"But it's fine now, I'm dating you." He kissed her temple.

"Mmm hmm." She hummed.

Serena kissed his neck. He guided her to his lips. She moved closer and twisted her fingers in his hair. Alex deepened the kiss. She held him by the waist. One of Alex's hands went to cradle her head while the other went to her butt. Serena let him squeeze it. Eventually, they pulled back. Alex wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on her shoulder. They got to the lobby. Serena showed him to her car.

The drive to Serena's house was relatively clear. There were a few cars here and there. Alex got to choose the music for the ride. It had snowed earlier that week so there were piles of it in people's yards. By the time they pulled into the driveway, it was snowing again. The house was a simple two story building. Alex knew it was pale blue-ish color.

Serena and Alex went inside. It was much brighter. It took a few seconds to adjust. Alex tried to get all the slush off his shoes. They hung their coats up on the hook. The hallway led into the living room then the dining room and kitchen. There was a short hallway splitting the living room and dining room and then the stairs.

A woman with short blond hair, white skin, and turquoise eyes was setting the table. She had a black jacket and green shirt on. Another woman with same color skin as Serena was stirring a pan of sauce. She had double pierced ears. She had a slightly grown out buzz cut, the brown hair on the top of her head making a point. Her eyes were a darker brown. She wore a long sleeved blue shirt.

"Oh, hi, honey. Is that your boyfriend?" The blond woman asked.

"Yes, Mom." She sighed.

"Hi, I'm Alex-" He started to say.

"Xanatos. I can't believe it." The other said.

"I told you I met him." Serena said exasperated.

"I thought you meant like in passing or something." She dumped the sauce into a dish.

"Be nice, dear. I'm Nicky." The blond introduced herself.

"I'm Thea." The brown haired woman brought the dish to the table.

Then they got the salad, jam, and rolls on the table. Serena got the ham out of the oven. It was already cooked, they wanted to keep it warm. There was baked stuffed potatos, a side of fruit, and chicken wings. They sat down. Alex was sitting next Serena and across from Nicky. Thea was at the other end of the table.

"Let's eat." Serena said.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The dinner

Alex filled his plate with a bit of everything. Serena and her parents got some food next. Thea poured the sauce on her chicken wings. Alex looked at the dish.

"The sauce is a bit spicy." Nicky warned.

"Ok." He put it off to the side.

"Normally, I'd glaze them, but Serena thought this would be better." Thea said.

Alex dipped his chicken wing into the sauce. It was spicy but it was also sweet. He dipped it in again. He still liked it. Alex was getting a bit bored so he switched all the little dishes around. Now the butter and jam were near Serena and the salt and pepper were near him. The chicken sauce was fine where it was.

"Where's the butter?" Nicky looked around.

"It should be over here…" Thea mumbled.

"I found it." Serena passed it over.

"That's weird, I thought I put over by the rolls." Nicky frowned.

"So, Alex, how have you been?" Thea asked.

"Uh, I'm good. Work's been a bit slow, but ok. We're going on vacation after Christmas." He thought.

"Do you like your job?" Thea asked.

"Yeah, my dad gives me interesting projects to do." Alex nodded.

"Where are you going?" She ate a roll.

"We're just going to our cabin upstate." He said.

"Really?" Serena looked at him.

"Yeah, it's nice. There's a forest and stream. Sometimes we ride horses, but that's more around summer." He smiled.

"I've mostly been here." Serena gestured.

"Uh, what about you… Thea?" Alex thought.

"I saved up my vacation time and took it off. I work at a gym." She answered.

"Serena, what's that mean?" Alex whispered.

"She teaches people how to use the weights properly and stuff." She whispered back. He nodded, satisfied.

"Where do you work?" He turned to Nicky.

"I'm a mechanic." She told him.

"Oh, my uncle Lexington is a mechanic too! He's great with computers." Alex smiled.

"That's not-" Thea frowned.

"Alex means he's good at both." Serena explained.

"Really, where's he work?" Nicky furrowed her brow.

"He doesn't work for anybody; it's more of a side thing." He shrugged.

"I see." Nicky hummed.

Alex stabbed the potato and chewed it. It was good, just needed more salt. It had a bit of pepper jack cheese, diced jalapeños, and bacon in it. Owen just made his with cheddar cheese and put the toppings on the side. Although, it was a bit much after the chicken sauce so Alex took a drink of water.

"Did you see any of the gargoyles when you went to pick up Alex?" Nicky asked Serena.

"No, I think they were busy." Serena hummed.

"What do they even do?" Thea asked.

"When they wake up, they go on patrol. They don't do it all night, but it can take a fair bit of it." He said.

"Patrol?" Thea raised an eyebrow.

"For crime, to protect the city." He added.

"Like the whole thing?" She frowned.

"Yeah, Goliath decided it. He's the leader. Big purple male." Alex relaxed.

"I remember when Serena was little-" Nicky started.

"Mom!" She protested.

"She had such a crush on the red one. Oh, honey, remember how often she used to play her toys and pretend to be a gargoyle. I think we have the photos in our room." She finished.

"Don't get the album!" Serena demanded.

"Alright, baby." Nicky smiled at her. Serena glared at her for a second.

The wind suddenly howled from upstairs. A door banged loudly against the wall. They looked at the ceiling. Thea and Nicky got up, going toward the stairs.

"Stay here, we'll go check it out." Thea told the couple before they climbed up the stairs. Alex and Serena were alone.

"Hey, Renie." Alex put his hand in her lap.

"Hey, Xander." She held his hand.

"You ok?" He asked.

"It's just embarrassing." She sighed.

"You know, Uncle Owen alone has a billion stories about me." He said.

"Yeah?" She looked at him.

"Imagine how many the rest of my family has. I apparently hated pants very much as a toddler." He smiled.

Serena snorted in laughter. Alex leaned over and kissed the top of her head. She kissed his cheek. Her parents came back downstairs.

"Did you find anything?" She asked them.

"Nope." Nicky shook her head.

"Can I ask a question?" Alex said.

"Sure." Thea said.

"Is Serena adopted? You said you her since she was little." He asked.

"Not quite, we went a fertility clinic and got our DNA mixed together. It took awhile to a place. Who came up it again?" Nicky frowned.

"Some guy at Gen-U Tech. Anton Something." Thea thought.

Alex choked on his food. He coughed loudly. They all looked at Alex. Serena rubbed his back. It took a minute for him to recover.

"You ok now?" Nicky asked.

"Yeah, I'm good. Just swallowed wrong." He drank some water.

"Serena, tell him about your new painting." Thea said.

"It's nothing really. Just a bit of watercolor." She insisted.

"Is it done?" Alex chewed a bite of salad.

"Not quite. It's just our backyard, without all the snow." She explained.

"How come you never told me about it?" He asked.

"It was supposed to be a quick thing, but then it got more involved." Serena shrugged.

"What do you do for fun?" Thea asked.

"Oh, uh… I play video games, some board games, I read sometimes, and I help Uncle Lex." He thought.

"Lex as in Lexington?" Nicky asked him.

"Yeah." He nodded.

They ate and chatted a bit about the local news and weather. Alex ate another stuffed potato and grabbed a couple chicken wings. He finished the rest of his salad and a roll. He accidentally spilled some jam on his hand and tried to wipe it off. It was still sticky.

"Where's the bathroom?" He asked.

"Down the hall, on the left." Serena pointed.

"Alright." He got up.

Alex scrubbed his hand clean. He went to the bathroom and then washed his hands. He looked outside. It was dark and windy, but he could still see the snow. It enticed him to go play in it. He was suddenly struck a great idea. If it came to opportunity arose for a prank, great. If not, he'd at least get to stretch his legs for a bit. He opened the window and jumped out.

Alex transformed. He landed on the ground as a fox. Even with his thick winter coat, he shivered. He sniffed around the yard. No one had come out in awhile. He found an old rope to play with. He tossed it in the air and yipped, jumping around.

"What's that noise?" Thea opened the door.

Alex darted in between her legs and ran around the house. He barked Jingle Bells. Nicky and Thea tried to catch him. Alex avoided them. He went into Serena's room. It was teal. There were paint brushes and a few stuffed animals on the floor. Alex didn't have any time to investigate further since Thea had found him.

"Don't let him go upstairs!" Someone shouted.

Alex went upstairs. The master bedroom was white and had pictures of the family. There was another bathroom and a guest room. Thea tried to grab him but he was faster. He made his way to the dining room. The ham smelled too good. Alex stood on his chair and tried to reach the food. Serena picked him up.

"Be careful, Sweetie." Nicky told her.

"You gotta stay outside, mister fox." She cooed.

He whined and kicked. She tossed him out onto the porch. Alex waited until they went back inside. He hopped over the fence and into the backyard. He jumped back into the bathroom window. He walked out as a human.

"What was all the noise?" He asked.

"A fox got in here. It ran all around the house and tried to eat the ham. I got it out though." Serena told him.

"It didn't get any food. I'll clean up your spot." Thea went to get a rag.

"I could have sworn it was barking Jingle Bells. That was weird. I thought wild animals avoided people." Serena thought.

"Maybe it just liked the sound." Alex offered.

"Serena, go get the pie. We'll eat in the living room." Nicky told her.

Alex sat on the couch. Serena brought the pie. It was chocolate. Thea and Nicky came soon after. They sliced the pie and served on a plate with whipped cream. Alex ate a bite. It was delicious. They ate dessert and then it was time to go home. Nicky packed him some leftovers and put in some Tupperware for him. Thea got a few plastic bags so he wouldn't have to fumble with all of it.

Serena's parents waved goodbye as they got in the car. The drive back to the Eyire Building took a bit longer. Serena helped carry the leftovers in. When they got to the castle, Serena kissed him.

"That went better than I expected. You were so good today." She told him.

He blushed. "Yeah…"

"Merry Christmas, baby." Serena handed him a medium sized gift bag. She had hid it with the other bags.

"I left your gift in my office." Alex groaned.

"Alexander, I believe this is for Miss Anderson." Owen walked up.

"Here you go, don't open it in front of your parents." Alex gave her the gift bag.

"Right. Have a good night, Alex. Merry Christmas, Mister Burnett." She waved. Alex and Owen went to the kitchen before going to tell everyone how the dinner went.

The Xanatoses considered Alex meeting Serena's parents a success. Goliath lectured him on his manners. Elisa just sighed. Lexington was a bit emotional. Broadway and Angela were a little nicer with their advice. Brooklyn patted him on the back and laughed. Hudson asked if he had been a gentleman. He said yes. Hudson hummed, satisfied. Nashville was happy for him. Artus and Tachi just wanted to try the food.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Christmas 2019

Christmas was celebrated a bit differently in the Eyire Building. Instead of opening one or two presents on Christmas Eve, the Xanatoses had a night long party and opened the presents before dawn. The humans saved a few presents to open on Christmas day.

Broadway and Brooklyn were by the food table. Elisa, Maggie, and Talon were talking with Beth. Claire and Theo were there too. They were Talon's and Maggies' kids. Claire was a panther and Theo was lion. Kanata was feeding Artus. Angela and Goliath were eating. Hudson and Tachi were playing with Fu-dog and Bronx. Nashville and Lexington were playing a game. Peter and Diane were talking and sitting by the fire with Petros. The Xanatoses and Owen were getting the presents ready. Vogel was milling about.

"Who put brandy in the eggnog?" Brooklyn asked.

"I assume Puck wanted something stronger." Broadway said.

Alex was naked and he tipsily ran past the food table, giggling as his father chased him. His father was drenched in punch and glitter. He had Alex's clothes in his hand. Petros shook his head.

"I swear, we've seen that boy naked more times that I can count." He said.

"Thank goodness his girlfriend isn't here." Diane added.

"Alex, put your clothes on! It's time to open presents." Fox yelled.

"Presents!" Alex grinned.

"Clothes, Alex!" Xanatos stopped him.

Alex got dressed and they went to the tree. The presents were separated by family. The clan had few presents each. Everyone sat down. Artus and Tachi opened theirs first. They got some toys and books. Artus was more interested in the wrapping paper. Then the rest of the clan went.

Angela got some earrings, clothes and movies. Goliath got more books and some snacks. Broadway got a cookbook, a crock pot, a TV mystery series. Kanata got a journal, sake, and some paint. Brooklyn got a few CDs, audio books, and origami paper. Nashville got a few comics, a laptop, and a hand held video game system. Lexington got a tablet, some tools, and a gift card. Hudson got a box of tea he had liked, celebrity ice hockey DVDs, and a basket of sample sized candy. Bronx and Fu-dog got treats and toys.

"Ok, Alex now you can open your presents." Xanatos told him.

Alex ripped them opened. He got a few new clothes, a board game, some books, and lots of cards. He grabbed Serena's present. It was the second to last. The tissue paper was flung on the floor.

"It's so fluffy!" He tugged the green blanket out, rubbing his face on it.

He didn't notice the smaller present fall out of the bag. Everyone was so surprised they couldn't speak. Tachi tugged on Katana's sleeve. She quietly shushed her. Owen took a picture.

"Alexander." Owen had a Puckish tone.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"Serena had another present in the bag." He nodded.

He peered behind the bag. "Oh, cool toy. Come feel this blanket."

"You still have another present to open." Fox pointed out.

"You're right." He pushed it aside and grabbed the last box. His last gift was a bunch of prank items.

"Alex." Elisa stared at him.

"I'm not gonna use them... today." He said.

Everyone else opened their gifts. Fox got some jewelry and a purse; Xanatos got a copy of a rare book. Petros got a water proof watch. The Mazas gave each other some small things. Jewelry, gift cards, clothes. Vogel got a suit and gift card. Soon, the gargoyles had to go to sleep. Everyone wished them a merry Christmas and sweet dreams. The remaining families gathered their presents to take to their rooms. Alex took his presents to his room. He put the blanket on his bed then climbed in. Alex fell asleep, dreaming about when he'd see Serena again.

**Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. I hope you enjoyed reading this.**

**Sake ****is an alcoholic Japanese drink.**


End file.
